Setting and Prompts

Kamenoko University takes place in present day, present time Tokyo with a bit of fictional embellishments. Your character attends Kamenoko University which isn't prestigious by any means and quite ordinary compared to the likes of Tokyo U, Kyoto U, Waseda, to say a few. The city itself is pretty much the same as what we have in the real world, and so is the entire world. Whatever is plausible in reality is definitely so in roleplay and you are only shackled by the very rules that governs the real world.

The University

Kamenoko University is a normal-sized university with about 40 000 students and no specific speciality, though alumni and seniors will have probably learned it originated as a predominantly school of science. There are all kinds of faculties, language, science, culture, politics, sports, medicine, art, etc. Students are around 19 to 25 years old, a few ones might be older, if they failed their exams over and over again or decided to start studying at a later point in their life. No one younger than 18 (see no BS rule).

General University layout:

The University is spread throughout our fictional Tokyo. There are currently four campuses as well as a few student dormitories. Each campus is quite close to one another, about a five or ten minute walk. There is a library close to the Faculty of Liberal Arts; it has six floors of books and plenty of studying areas as well as computers to use. Conveniently, there are plenty of apartments and flats available for rent in the area, as well as basement suites.

Each faculty has its own mezzanine (main lobby), student work areas, tables, and cafeterias. There are also empty rooms that small groups can work in for projects and studying (you need to use your student identification in order to swipe in). Since the campuses are spread through a city, there are plenty of stores, cafes, and restaurants located nearby each campus, particularly convenient for students.

What's normal university life like?

Japan runs on a two semester system (see the schedule below). Students generally attend two or three lectures a day, maybe more for the harder working ones, with a day or two off for the lazier ones - it all depends on what a student chooses to study and how serious he or she is about it. Characters have to be normal students (see no BS rule). There are no uniforms and no fixed schedules or activities, so you have a lot of freedom in University.  

Being in uni is about learning to be selfsufficient and responsible. There are routines though, like running into each other between lectures, since students would have to commute between faculties - they'd also meet in the cantina or in cafes, or on the way to their part time jobs, or in clubs, parties and social events - basically anything they think up to spend their time.

2014 - 15 Semester Schedule

Kamenoko runs on a two semester system like most Japanese universities. The first semester is from the end of March (or start of April) to July. The second semester runs from late September to December and continues from January to February. There are exams in the last two weeks of the semesters, so your character may be out earlier or later depending on when their exams are (and you can be the one to determine that of course).

A graduation ceremony occurs in mid-March and will be announced. Entrance ‘exams’ (group enrollments) will happen at the end of each break. See the ‘how to apply’ journal for more information.

Degree Examples

Please make sure you research your degree before choosing. It must exist. Since we're bending reality quite a lot (we're not Japanese, there's going to be plenty of inaccuracies), it's alright if your degree is available in another country aside from Japan.

See a listing here: link

Campus Prompts

There are four main campuses spread throughout a city in Japan, and a campus usually has a few buildings to hold the students. It’s about a five to ten minute walk from each one.

Of course, you can come up with prompts outside of the ones listed below as long as it's plausible within the setting. If you wish to make an event (see the event guide), you can often use student council as an excuse to host events. : )

• Faculties: Liberal Arts (also known as the Main Faculty since it has administration offices), Science Faculty, Arts Faculty, and Business & Education Faculty. Each faculty has two to three buildings.
• Cafeterias: Each campus has a cafeteria with plenty of fast-food restaurants (much like a mall). So you can opt from burgers to pizza and pasta…or choose something healthier. Think of your typical fast food court, but a little more low-key since it's in a university.
• Gym & recreational area, pool, track: All of this is located at the Science Faculty Campus. The pool and gym are indoors and require your Student ID card to get in (you simply swipe it). The track is also a part of a public park. All of it is free to use for students.
• Study areas: Each campus has plenty of studying space! There are private rooms for group projects. Don’t forget to swipe your ID to be allowed access.
• Kamenoko Library: The Kamenoko library is a building located near the Main Faculty (Liberal Arts). It has about six floors of books and is a very tall building. It also has a computer area on the main floor and plenty of quiet studying space.
• Book Store: This is where you pick-up your course books. It’s located inside the Liberal Arts campus. It also has things like stationary, writing supplies, and University wear (t-shirts, hoodies etc). Some students work here.
• Theatre: There is a theatre in one of the Arts Faculty buildings. Used for theatrical performances, it’s a nice opportunity to go watch some acting. There is also a large TV set up there sometimes for movie nights (also useful in acting classes since they can watch and study actors/actresses on screen).
• Computer lab: There is a big computer lab in each campus. The largest is in the library, though it's required you keep quiet. Print out assignments or just surf the web on a break between classes.
• Kamenoko Art Gallery: Arts & Main faculties also have art galleries. The Art Faculty gallery has plenty of fine art, displays, and other senior work. The Main faculty (liberal arts) displays and interactive art proposals, digital artwork, games, advertisements, etc.
• Nekonoko Hall: This is a large hall located in the Business and Education faculty. Business students often use it for events such as fundraisers, charities, and auctions. It’s also used for school dances which are usually put together for fundraisers by the Student Council.
• Student Council room: A comfy room located in the Liberal Arts faculty. Anyone can drop in. Student Council members get their own office area. Sometimes there's free food floating around.

The City

Kamenoko University is situated generally in a bustling part of Tokyo, and in easy access is everything the city has to offer. Here's a few examples of places to introduce you to the idea.

• Dance Clubs: There are dance clubs throughout the city for all the girls and guys who want to go out for a night and have a good time. Here is a guide to clubbing in Japan which might help for RP purposes.
• Recreational: Skate parks, karaoke, gyms, marine sports, baseball, tennis clubs, bowling, arcades…anything you can think of! Very useful for excuses to get characters together in roleplay.
• Bars: There are bars right outside of most of the campuses. Minimum age is 20 in Japan (though your character might be able to slip by...) 
• Shopping districts: The largest is Shinjuku, followed by Shibuya which is more fashion-oriented. The link will take you to more shopping districts in Tokyo that could give you ideas for roleplay prompts.
• Tsukiji Fish Market: It's the largest place in the world for wholesale fish and sea food.
• Shrines: Probably not something that young people go to too often, but it’s still around and in the city. Traditional wedding processions generally take place at these.
• Parks & gardens: There are quite a few. Think of Yoyogi park. Great for recreation (rollerskating, jogging, sight-seeing) or just finding a quiet place to study or socialize.
• Enoshima Beach: The Enoshima beach is open until late August (and can be accessed through KameBeach chat and Kamechat). It has plenty of hiking trails and is a small island connected to the mainland. About an hour from campus.
• Business Directory: Fictional jobs that muns have made within the city that your characters can visit. From fine dining & maid cafes to electronics stores...it's all available to use for roleplay prompts.

The point of this open setting is to leave room for character development and stories that feel like real people are involved. This also reflects on what the characters would do and what would drive them -  students study, in general, but everyone is different.

Not everyone has a plan for their life - some drift along, some hang on to their dreams, some want to get a good job - everyone is trying to find happiness in their own way. Most of them would have a part time job to pay for rent or whatever they spend their money on, scholarships and rich parents are rare (see no BS rule), some more creative ones might find other ways to make money or get by.

But college kids are college kids! Some would have dreams, ambitions, goals, hobbies! Others would be social, care about friends, get together, throw wild parties, organize things, while others still would mainly care about their future and their grades and work only towards their career.

There would be dating, obviously, and all those things that inevitably happen when there's young people of different kinds thrown together and stirred.